Trolling motor batteries can get heavy. If you want to keep the weight of your gear to a minimum, your battery is a good place to start.
Choosing a lightweight trolling motor battery is important for kayakers and inflatable boaters looking to cut back on the overall weight of their gear. Pontoon boat owners with more powerful motors that need 24V or 36V batteries will also benefit from lighter batteries.
The compromise?
With AGM batteries, it is power capacity. Light AGM batteries will store less energy, meaning that their Amp Hour (Ah) rating will be lower than that of larger batteries.
With lithium batteries, it is the price. They weigh 3-4 times less than similar AGM batteries, but lithium batteries cost 4-8 times more.
Let’s have a look at a few light AGM and lithium batteries.
If you run a trolling motor on your boat or any other accessories that need to be powered (stereo, fish finder, etc), you will need a marine battery. While searching for batteries, you will come across the term battery group size. But what are battery group sizes exactly?
What is the meaning of Battery Group Size?
The term “battery group size” simply refers to the battery’s physical case size. It is a specification that you’ll find on all boat batteries.
It is basically the physical measurements of the battery casing as set by the Battery Council International (BCI). The height, width, and length of a battery specify its group size.
You should be able to locate the group size of your battery on the labels.
Here are a few things to keep in mind about battery group sizes:
- A smaller group size generally indicates a larger battery.
- Conversely, a larger group size generally indicates a smaller battery.
Depending on what kind of boating you plan on doing, the weight of your supplies can really add up.
No matter whether you are looking to place a trolling motor on an inflatable boat, a kayak, pontoon boat, etc., you will need to take the weight of the motor and the marine battery into consideration when planning your trip.
In this article, you’ll find info comparing the weight of different classes of trolling motors, as well as the batteries that power them.
For most people looking to buy an electric trolling motor, the 55lb thrust models are an ideal pick.
Why?
- Trolling motors weaker than 55lb will struggle when the weather turns against us or the boat is overloaded
- Stronger than 55lb thrust motors are more expensive, require more battery power, and are only a necessity if the joint weight of the boat + load is over 2000 lbs / 900 kg or if the boat is longer than 16 feet.
Trolling motors with 55 lb of thrust are perfect for inflatable boats, kayaks, and fishing boats.
Top 55lb thrust electric trolling motors
Here is my list of the best motors in the 55lb range.
| Newport Vessels NV 55lb | Newport Vessels X 55lb | Minn Kota Endura 55lb | Minn Kota Endura Max 55lb | Minn Kota Riptide 55lb | Goplus 55lb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handle | Extendable (6″) | Extendable (6″) + 30° up/down | Extendable (6″) | Extendable (6″) | Extendable (6″) | Extendable (6″) |
| Water | Saltwater & freshwater | Saltwater & freshwater | Freshwater | Freshwater | Saltwater & freshwater | Freshwater & saltwater |
| Shaft length | 30″ | 36″ | 36″ / 42″ | 36″ / 42″ | 36″ / 42″ | 36″ |
| Weight | 24 lbs | 24 lbs | 23 lbs | 24 lbs | 24 lbs | 22 lbs |
| Battery meter | 5 point LED | 10 point LED | none | 4 point LED | 4 point LED | 10 point LED |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 year | no info |
| Price check | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Let’s have a look at them in more detail. Read more
If you are looking for an inflatable boat to go fishing in, you will probably have come across the Sevylor Fish Hunter models. Sevylor designed the boat with fishing enthusiasts in mind, and has added features that anglers will appreciate.
The Fish Hunter comes in 3 sizes, but the boats share the same features as we’ll outline below.
If you’re shopping for an inflatable boat, you will have probably come across the term Boston valve. It sounds impressive as it is part of the advertising material, but wait a minute.
What on Earth is a Boston valve?
A Boston valve is one-way check valve with 2 ports, which allows for easy inflation and quick deflation of inflatable items. It is used in larger inflatable products, such as inflatable boats and mattresses, to speed up the process of inflation and deflation.
As you can see on the image below, it has 3 core elements:
- The base, which is built into the rubber tube (far right)
- The middle part, which is screwed into the base (mid)
- The top cap, which is screwed onto the middle part (far left)
Are you the kind of fishing enthusiast who frequently plans a fishing trip with friends or family? Do you like vacationing near lakes and streams where you can get an opportunity to fish? If so, then the Angler bay inflatable boat may be what you need.
My review of Airhead’s Angler Bay SIB is based on my findings after using the boat for 3 days on a long weekend at a calm lake.
If there are any lakes in your area that you visit, you will have undoubtedly seen Intex Seahawk boats out on the water. It is a favorite among families for easy, fun boating.
I decided to write a review on the Seahawk after getting to use one for a day at a lake in Hungary. Here are my thoughts on this raft.
If you already have an Intex inflatable boat or are looking to get one soon, getting an electric trolling motor is a great upgrade.
An Intex raft paired with a motor opens up a lot of possibilities out on the water and is a lot of fun for kids and adults alike:
- fishing is made so much easier without the need for handling the oars,
- kids love cruising with a motorized boat,
- paddling is hard with many people in the boat.
This article will list the best electric trolling motors for Intex inflatable boats (Mariner, Excursion, Seahawk, Challenger), and answer a few questions you may have before committing to a motor.
The following review of the Intex Mariner 4 will highlight to you the various reasons that put the Mariner 4 among the best boats you can find on the market as far as strength, performance, and practicality are concerned.
I have a lot of experience with this boat, since I own one. Naturally, I use a trolling motor with it, more on that later.